From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 420 The General Takes This Path
The meeting between Van Vleet and McLean ended in a bad way, which was actually the result they expected for both of them.

During this time, Van Fleet conducted various investigations while working in the rear and learned that his teacher had long been corrupted by the military-industrial complex and was no longer the professional soldier he knew before.

And Merion also knew that Van Vliet's character had not changed from beginning to end. Although he had various problems, after discovering the secrets of the military-industrial complex, he would definitely investigate it.

Therefore, this final meeting was basically equivalent to the two trying to get the other to 'pull back from the brink', but they ultimately failed.

When Van Fleet walked out of the Army Headquarters building again, his feelings at this moment were completely different from when he just received the transfer order.

If at that time he was thinking about getting rid of this seemingly useless position and returning to the front line to fight, now he just wants to fight these military-industrial complexes to the end.

Outside the Army Headquarters building is an open square. On weekdays, a small area of ​​the square is open to schools to provide patriotic education to students.

This place used to be bustling with people, but now it is silent. Apart from the alert sentries and multi-legged chariots, there is no other person to be seen. There are also few vehicles passing by on the wide main road outside the square.

In the distance, dark clouds rolled like a sea of ​​ink, gradually swallowing up the last rays of sunset, foreshadowing the coming of an unprecedented storm. All this, like the predicament Van Fleet was facing at the moment, was full of dangers and an uncertain future.
Van Fleet took a deep breath. The air was filled with the smell of an impending storm. His eyes, which had witnessed countless battlefields, were now staring into the distance, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Because the enemy he was facing now was completely different from the enemies he had faced on the battlefield before. They were illusory, but they had infiltrated every corner of the federation, corrupted his respected teacher, and even influenced the direction of the country's progress behind the scenes.
Van Vleet wanted to fight with him, but found that he didn't even know where to start, and his opponent had already set his sights on him and wanted to strike first and kill him.

Facing the coming storm, Van Fleet knows that relying on his own strength is far from enough. He needs to gather all the forces he can trust, perhaps to get a glimmer of hope.

But how many secrets are hidden beneath this turbulent water? And how many people are willing to stand up and fight alongside him?
Guterres might be one of them. This guy has been very active recently. Moreover, due to the "independence" of the Federal Navy under the leadership of Marshal Trafalgar, and the support of the Marshal himself, the current situation of this Vice Admiral might be slightly better than his.

But the problem is that even if he is included, they are just two lieutenant generals who were "hidden" after being defeated on the front line and have no real power. They are not even worth mentioning in front of the huge military-industrial complex.

With his mind in a mess, Van Fleet walked down the stairs in front of the headquarters building and got into the explosion-proof armored vehicle that was waiting for him. After realizing that what he was doing was rather dangerous, he applied to replace the ordinary bulletproof executive sedan with a military explosion-proof armored vehicle.

Of course, this is mainly for psychological comfort. If the other party really wants to attack him, it doesn't matter what car he changes.
The fully armed adjutant in the passenger seat turned around and looked at him after seeing him get in the car.

"General, where are we going?"

"The old place." Van Vliet said absentmindedly.

"Yes, General."

The vehicle started up quickly and drove forward. Explosion-proof armored vehicles naturally had nothing to do with comfort, but Van Fleet, who had long been accustomed to the bumpy ride on the front lines, was able to concentrate and think better in such an environment.

In the crew cabin where he was, besides him, there were five other guards who were also fully armed. However, they did not make any sound at the moment, but just stood guard quietly.

When the armored vehicle left the area of ​​the Army Headquarters, three other armored vehicles also carrying guards that were temporarily parked on the side of the street followed to form a convoy.

Generally speaking, although senior military officials have the authority to deploy guard troops, no one will actually do so in the federal capital. After all, this is the most core area of ​​the federation, and attacks against senior military officials are unlikely to occur here.

But for Van Fleet, it was not necessarily the case, so he asked the guards to follow him around all day long in the puzzled eyes of his colleagues. If it were not for the extremely strict control of large combat vehicles in the federal capital, Van Fleet would even want to call two HCPs.
The convoy quickly drove along the familiar route towards the "old place" mentioned by Van Fleet, which was Guterres' bar. He had already made an appointment with the vice admiral to meet tonight to discuss some things.

Van Vleet was quietly thinking about some issues. The convoy left the core area of ​​the capital and came to the middle of the 3rd and 4th ring roads. It was at this time that the adjutant's somewhat nervous voice suddenly sounded.

"General, there is a 'tail' behind the convoy. We may have guests."

Van Fleet looked up and heard the adjutant continue:

"Damn it, this drone operator is a veteran. He followed us all the way with the help of the building's cover, and was just discovered. General, I suspect some people may not be able to hold back any longer."

"Tsk, I didn't expect them to be so anxious." Van Vliet frowned. He did intend to submit evidence to the Federal Supreme Court, but he hadn't done so yet. But now it seems that the other party wants to strike first.

"This is the capital. How dare they?"

The adjutant couldn't believe that the military-industrial complex would be so bold, but Van Fleet shook his head and said:
"They have been patient enough to hold out until now. Don't panic. Take the backup route and see if we can meet up with Lieutenant General Guterres. The security forces hidden in his bar can still help us hold out for a while."

As Van Vliet spoke, he tried to contact Guterres through the encrypted line of his personal terminal, but unsurprisingly, the words "No Signal" popped up on the terminal.

"Huh, it's really no surprise that they chose today to strike."

Van Fleet sneered, and with the help of the guards around him, he skillfully put on a combat exoskeleton in the small space of the crew cabin and installed additional armor plates. "Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Just as he finished his words, the next second, a shrill buzzing sound came from inside the armored vehicle, which was a warning that it had been locked by the fire control unit.

The driver, realizing something was wrong, slammed the steering wheel, and the armored vehicle immediately rushed to the auxiliary road and quickly headed towards another route.

The leading vehicle at the front of the convoy was hit by an incoming anti-vehicle missile just as it was about to slow down and turn around. Amid the roar of the explosion, it quickly turned into a fireball.

Van Vleet gripped the handrail even tighter and at the same time felt a little scared. If the driver had reacted a little slower, giving the other party enough window to attack, then the car he was riding in would have turned into a fireball.

Then, two black modified trucks suddenly appeared on the alternative route, telling Van Vliet that the other party was well prepared this time.

Two trucks were seen blocking the road, and a large number of armed men quickly jumped out of the rear cabin. Some of them were carrying chain guns or anti-vehicle missile launchers on board, and it was obvious that they had fully studied Van Fleet's security force.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

A large number of smoke bombs were quickly fired from the remaining explosion-proof armored vehicles on Van Fleet's side, creating an anti-infrared smoke wall. The armored vehicles also left the main road to avoid the chain artillery shells that were fired through the smoke.

Although he temporarily blocked the opponent's sight, Van Vleet knew that as long as the opponent was bolder and rushed forward directly relying on the advantage in numbers, he would be finished.

His adjutant was obviously aware of the situation and immediately asked the driver to drive towards an alley on the side of the street while giving orders to other guards.

When the armored vehicle drove into the alley, another armored vehicle immediately crashed in, completely blocking the alley entrance.

The remaining guards did not hesitate to set up a temporary defense line near the alley entrance to buy time for Van Fleet and his men.

These soldiers, who had not yet been corrupted by the bad atmosphere in the army, did not hesitate at all after receiving the order, even though staying here to cover their retreat was tantamount to suicide for them.

"General, after such a long time, the capital's core circle security forces have not responded at all, which is very telling."

The adjutant's voice became calmer at this moment. He guided the driver to an unknown route while checking the weapons in his hands and continued:

"There is a disguised passage nearby for high-ranking federal officials to transfer in an emergency. You can use it directly with your identity. We will find a way to divert the pursuers. You can leave directly in the vehicle in the disguised passage. The end of the passage is outside the Sixth Ring Road. An emergency response team will meet you there."

Van Fleet listened to his adjutant's words and opened his mouth to say something. Thousands of words finally turned into one: "Take care."

The armored vehicle soon arrived at the entrance of the camouflaged passage, which was an inconspicuous building that looked no different from the surrounding buildings.

Van Fleet didn't waste any time at this time. After getting out of the car, he took a last look at his adjutant and others and walked into the building.

The moment he stepped into the room, some kind of biometric device was immediately activated and completed identity verification. A passage leading to the underground suddenly opened inside the building, which was originally no different from an ordinary room.

As Van Fleet walked down and moved deeper under the carry of some mechanical device, the entrance was closed again, fitting seamlessly without any flaws.

At the same time, the armored vehicle that had just driven forward a short distance outside the building stopped again. The adjutant holding an electromagnetic rifle jumped out of the car, fired a few more shots at the driver who was already dead in the driver's seat, and threw a plasma grenade into the locked crew cabin.

He walked quickly to a distance away from the vehicle, and in the light of the explosion, waved to several vehicles chasing behind.

Soon, several armed men, fully armed but without any identification, came up to him.

"What about people?"

"We've already entered the passage. Have you arranged the exit?"

"Of course, we have arranged a great gift for His Excellency the Lieutenant General."

The two people in the conversation did not notice that a traffic camera, which was supposed to be in dormant mode under the arrangement of the attacker, was now staring at this side quietly.

It's like a pair of eyes hidden beneath the material world, taking in everything.

(End of this chapter)